Heartbroken
by AtobeLover
Summary: Ryoma knew he could never live without Atobe. So you can imagine how he felt when Atobe broke up with him.


Title: Heartbroken

By: AtobeLover

Summary: Ryoma knew he couldn't live without Atobe. So you can imagine how he felt when Atobe broke up with him.

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince Of Tennis. Please, do we all need to add it every time? We all know we wouldn't be here if we _did_ own Prince Of Tennis.

***

Keigo Atobe. What a beautiful name, Ryoma mused. It belonged to the man who he had loved.

Ryoma couldn't ever stop thinking about the man who had taken his heart to keep it forever.

He had his life made whole when he'd met Atobe. As in fought over silly things with him, made out in front of the Hyotei and Seigaku regulars, and just enjoyed life on a normal basis with him. He'd give up tennis for Atobe. He'd abandon Karupin for him. And he was prepared to kill himself if Atobe wanted. 'I love you, Keigo.' But Atobe had never reciprocated those words. That realization echoed itself in Ryoma's mind repeatedly.

The thing was, Atobe didn't want him to do anything of the above. He had completely, publicly, dumped Ryoma and then the next day was seen making out with Yukimura, who had smirked when he'd caught Ryoma's shocked, stunned, heartbroken eyes watching his ex-boyfriend in someone else's, namely his, arms.

Ryoma had started to cut himself to try and let go of that crippling pain.

He spent his days at the window of his room, gazing out onto the tennis court at the back of the temple. Atobe used to come here to play a few games with Ryoma's father, and sometimes when Nanjiro Echizen won and left, Atobe'd drag Ryoma to one of the bushes fencing the court and take him there.

He didn't go to school anymore. Sakuno, Tomoka, Kachiro, Katsuo, and Horio all visited. The Seigaku regulars absolutely refused to move from Ryoma's bedroom door. When Ryoma still kept himself locked in, they all started taking turns to keep watch over the door. Ryoma had even memorized who came which day due to their voices.

His parents were very troubled. 'Ryoma, please open the door...'

Rinko would Japanese food every day and leave it outside, only to find it untouched - UNTOUCHED - the next day. Nanjiro Echizen tried to reassure himself that Ryoma was all right. But after five days, he and Tezuka broke the door down.

To find Ryoma crying his soul out. 'Why doesn't he love me? Was he just using me?'

Later, Rinko and Ryoma had a heart-to-heart talk and then Ryoma stayed nestled in Rinko's motherly arms for sometime, before he summed up the courage to go to school again.

***

All his arrogance had left him. He called Horio _Horio-san_, which was the most shocking thing of that day. Only that day, because the next day when Eiji treated Ryoma to one of his death-hugs, he had hugged Eiji back and broke down again in his arms. All the regulars were ready for him, and in an impromptu Hyotei/Seigaku tournament they defeated all the players 6-0. When Atobe played Tezuka, he realized that not only all of Tezuka's shots were more powerful than before, they also had pure hate laced into them.

'What's your problem?' He had said when they had gone to the net to shake hands. Even he had not been left out from that 6-0 curse.

Tezuka said contemptuously, 'You broke Ryoma.' And his handshake became slightly tighter. As in crushing Atobe's hand.

'You don't have the right to use Ryoma's first name.' Atobe said, mentally reeling from what Tezuka just told him.

Tezuka's eyebrow raised in a veritable imitation of Atobe as he said, 'Neither do you, bastard.' Then he had pulled away and left the courts.

Atobe had noticed a Fila cap-wearing individual take a last glance at him (who was still at that net), and Atobe had seen pearls of water glistening in his eyes, black hair just ending above his eyebrows. He had mouthed one word - 'Why?' And had left.

And he had felt his own tears take hold of his eyes as he sank to his knees.

***

Yukimura knew something was wrong when he kissed Atobe. 'What's the matter, Kei?'

'Don't call me Kei.' Atobe said. 'I don't want to go out with you anymore.'

Yukimura smiled ruefully. 'It's Echizen, isn't it? You still can't let go of him.'

'Damn right I can't! Have you looked at him nowadays? Have you seen how he looks, like his whole world crashed down around him? I caused that! I love him, and I broke his heart!' Atobe was slowly getting into the same state as Ryoma. Yukimura caught hold of his shoulders and gazed into his eyes. 'Did you ever tell him that?'

'Tell him what?' But Atobe knew.

'That you love him?'

'No.'

'I don't want to let go of you either... but you love Echizen, and like a true gentleman I should let you go.'

And Atobe had hugged him briefly before leaving Yukimura's house.

'I'm sorry, but I didn't love you.' Yukimura had heard those words before Atobe closed the door, and it didn't trouble him, because even he hadn't loved Atobe.

***

Five months had gone by since Atobe had did what he had to Ryoma. Ryoma always stayed in someone's company, because the regulars, his family, his friends were all afraid that he would go and do something drastic like kill himself.

Ryoma had never known why Atobe had dumped him.

Atobe was truly grieved because even though he had said 'Hey,' Ryoma didn't even talk to him next time they met in that famous tennis shop. He had just grabbed two rolls of black grip tape, a tennis racket frame, gone to the cashier and left the place. Atobe had also left soon after... with wet patches on the carpeted floor below the grip tape rack, and unabsorbed water drops on his shirt.

The female cashier had immediately known.

***

Ryoma would never forget Atobe, literally. He called Sakuno for help in the middle of the night, and poor Sakuno helped to relieve him of his heartache by listening whatever Atobe had done to Ryoma, for Ryoma... getting her own heartache in the process.

'I'll never forget him...' Were his words before he wished Sakuno goodnight and had hung up.

Sakuno's pillow was still wet with tears the next morning. But she let go of him too.

***

Ryoma woke up early one morning. The weather was completely opposite to his mood, bright and sunny. He got ready for school, and did his homework at the breakfast table, absently scratching behind Karupin's ears, pleasing her. He ate the accidentally made American breakfast without a single complaint, and Nanjiro thought the days were getting better as Ryoma said he wanted to play a match with him later.

Ryoma was picked up by Momoshiro. 'You're early.'

'I always am.'

'No.'

'Yes.'

'No.'

'Yes. And shut your trap otherwise I'll tell Inui that you're going out with An Tachibana. He and Fuji will blackmail you like hell then.'

'Don't you dare!'

'Mada mada dane.'

'I see your arrogance returned. Poor Horio is going to be so brought down.'

'Mada, mada, dane.'

'You called him Horio-san, did you know?'

'MADA MADA DANE!' Ryoma had screamed and elbowed Momoshiro hard in the small of his back.

'Oh you're back, you are.'

***

Tezuka was thanked by Ryoma in afternoon practice.

'Thank you, Buchou. You and everyone else stayed by me, and made me feel better.'

And Ryoma had been glomped by Eiji.

***

Atobe knew it was going to be a better day. His school hours had gone well, and he was going to get Ryoma back.

He didn't count on Tezuka not allowing him inside the Seigaku tennis grounds. He was standing there, and Tezuka wasn't letting him in to see Ryoma. His Ryoma.

'Let me in. I love him. You know I love him.'

'He is finally getting better, Atobe, you know you're going to send him into depression again.'

'He will take me back.'

'You don't know for sure.'

'Fuck you, Tezuka, if you don't let me in, I will surely sue you for not letting me do what I want.' And with those words, he pushed past the Seigaku captain and stormed onto Court A, where Ryoma was playing against Eiji.

Everyone went silent as the Hyotei captain suprised Ryoma by pulling the racket out of his hands, recklessly backhanding the ball back to Eiji's guts, flinging the racket away and kissing him passionately. Deeply. He tried to imbue what feelings he had for Ryoma into the kiss, knowing it would be his last if Ryoma refused him.

Ryoma's cap fell off and Atobe kissed him even deeper, running his hand through the ebony locks as if trying to memorize the silky texture of each strand, his other hand pulling Ryoma closer.

Ryoma pulled away. 'What are you doing here?'

'I love you. Take me back. I was a motherfucker and I know it.'

'Answer me.'

'I'm here to ask you to take me back. Like I said, I love you, take me back, I was a motherfucker and I know it.'

'Why did you leave me?'

'I thought I didn't love you. I thought I liked Yukimura.'

'And?'

'I was wrong.'

Ryoma's eyes mysteriously shone.

'You'll never dump me again, right?'

'I won't EVER. I now know just how much you mean to me.'

'I love you.'

With that, they had kissed again.

Everyone had hurriedly left and told the others not to go into the tennis courts as Atobe pulled off Ryoma's shirt.

***

Ryoma was never heartbroken after that.

**Owari - Please Review!**


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